PLEASE NOTE: We are able to fully assist you during these difficult times. We are offering our clients and prospective clients the ability to meet with us via telephone or through video conferencing. Please call our office at 914-948-1500 so that we may assist you.

We are pleased to announce the reopening of our White Plains office location for in-office meetings. We are following the applicable New York State regulations for Phase 2 re-openings. These regulations limit in-person gatherings, so although we will hold a select number of in-person meetings, we will continue to encourage telephone and video-conference meetings whenever possible. We have implemented health and safety procedures for all staff, as well as those clients who come into the office. Please click here for in-office meeting procedures.

Elder Planning Isn't Just For The Elderly

Are debts inherited from an estate?

Estate planning is the process through which individuals devise a plan for the distribution of their assets upon their passing. These assets can vary widely from person-to-person,and can encompass numerous asset types. Bank accounts, stocks and bonds, real estate, personal possessions and even intellectual property can be addressed in an estate plan. Yet, while creating an estate plan or when a loved one passes away, individuals are often left wondering how debts are handled after death.

Generally speaking, debts are not inherited. Therefore, when an individual passes away, his or her loved ones, even if named in estate planning documents, are not on the hook for repayment of debts. There are, of course certain exceptions, such as when a loved one co-signs on a loan. Therefore, any jointly held credit cards, mortgages and car loans may still need to be repaid by the living individual.

Although relatives may not be responsible for repaying debt held by their deceased loved ones, those debts will still need to be repaid as fully as possible. This means that assets are taken from the estate to pay creditors. This is a duty carried out by the estate administrator. These debts can take a significant bite into an existing estate, though, thereby leaving beneficiaries and heirs with less than what a deceased individual may have intended.

The severity of the impact made by debt can be limited, though, through effective estate planning. Certain types of trusts can render assets untouchable by creditors, but they must be created and managed carefully. We will talk more about these options in upcoming blogs. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about your estate, please consider reaching out to a law firm that is well-versed in handling these matters.

Archives

FindLaw Network